Some people do not meet the conditions for mandatory insurance or lose those conditions later and therefore are not covered by compulsory insurance. Voluntary insurance applies in these cases. Voluntary insurance is available to those who work fewer than 30 days in a month or do not work full time, and to people who previously have not been covered under social security laws. This voluntary coverage allows individuals to benefit from disability, old-age and survivor insurance and other services provided they pay the premiums themselves. One of these voluntary schemes is voluntary Bağ-Kur. The application requirements for voluntary Bağ-Kur have been defined.
Turkish citizens who reside in Turkey and who live in countries without a social security agreement with Turkey may apply for voluntary Bağ-Kur. Of course, there are specific application requirements. The voluntary Bağ-Kur application conditions include the following:
- Those who do not work in a way that would make them mandatory insured persons under Law No. 5510.
- People who are employed but work fewer than 30 days in a month or do not work full time.
- Those who, due to their insurance status, do not receive a disability or old-age pension under Turkey’s Social Security Laws.
- Persons who have completed 18 years of age may apply for voluntary Bağ-Kur.
The following groups may apply for voluntary insurance if they meet the conditions listed above:
- Convicts and detainees employed in workshops, facilities or similar sections of penal institutions and detention centers.
- Trainees, apprentices and students receiving vocational training in workplaces; students subject to mandatory internships while attending vocational high schools or higher education institutions.
- Participants in vocational training and improvement courses organized by the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR).
- Public employees whose employment contracts are suspended while they remain in active service in public administrations.
- Persons receiving unemployment benefits whose employment contract has not been terminated, and those whose contracts are suspended due to strike, unpaid leave, or seasonal/campaign pauses when the worker intends to return for the next season or campaign.
- Those receiving survivor’s pensions because they did not receive a personal pension from their own work after the insured person’s death.
Where to Apply for Voluntary Bağ-Kur
First-time applicants for voluntary insurance should apply at the Provincial Social Security Directorates or Social Security Centers in their place of residence. Applicants for voluntary Bağ-Kur must submit the Voluntary Insurance Entry Document provided in the Social Insurance Procedures Regulation and present proof of residence when applying.
Those reapplying for voluntary insurance may apply with a simple written request letter.
Voluntary insurance coverage begins and takes effect on the day following the date the application is registered in the records of the Social Security Institution.
When someone is voluntarily insured, the insurance premium equals 32% of the monthly earnings chosen by the insured person as the basis for premiums, provided this amount falls between the lower and upper limits for pensionable earnings. Of this rate, 20% corresponds to old-age and survivor insurance premiums, and the remaining 12% is considered the general health insurance premium.
The rule that terminated voluntary Bağ-Kur coverage for failure to pay contributions for a certain period has been removed. According to the current regulation, an insured person who fails to pay the premium for a given month within 12 months loses the opportunity to pay the premium for that month afterward. Until 12 months elapse, it remains possible to pay premiums for other months and the associated late payment interest. Also, a voluntary insurance record will not be terminated for reasons such as requests or death under these circumstances.
Voluntary Bağ-Kur coverage can end at the request of the insured. Coverage is also considered to have ended on the date of death of the insured person.